Business Insider Applauds Joanna Angel's Entrepreneurship

LOS ANGELES — Business Insider refers to “punk princess” Joanna Angel as “porn’s most successful entrepreneur” in a recent profile spotlighting her alt-erotic brand, Burning Angel.

"We just came up with the name. It had a good girl/bad girl thing going, so we liked it," she told Business Insider, describing how she conceived of Burning Angel in 2002 with her then-roommate at Rutgers University.

Flash forward 11 years, and Angel is now a mainstay in the industry. Business Insider reporter Dylan Loves notes that her ten-person operation functions much like any modern day startup, evinced by the fact that Joanna performs sundry roles, from artistic director to performer to promoter.

While Burning Angel has helped etch out a niche referred to as “alt-porn” (RE: chicks with tats, piercings and an overall punk vibe), she eschews the term, explaining that “alt” is an overly general term that just implies that something strays from the norm.

Besides its defining punk aesthetic, the profile underscores another difference between Burning Angel and other sites: its focus on community and culture, embodied by its forums and (live and online) events.

Angel admits that she never thought that her pet project would become her career, instead envisioning herself as a journalist, sex columnist or English teacher, but now feels fully entrenched despite the stumbling blocks pornographers now face.

"Porn is definitely tough," she said, "but this is my career and this is what I do. We want to expand the brand and do even more with it. At this point, we've been around for a while. But we're still growing because we're still a small business."

To read the complete profile on BusinessInsider.com, click here.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

XBIZ 2026 Conference to Debut All-New Company Lounges, Community Track

The event website for XBIZ 2026 is now live, offering information about North America’s largest adult industry conference, set to take place Jan. 12-15.

Maria May Makes Her WIFEY Debut

Creator Maria May stars with her husband Jeff, Hollywood Cash, and Jamie Knoxx in the latest release from Vixen Media Group studio imprint WIFEY.

Alexis James Stars in Latest BAM Visions Scene

Alexis James stars alongside multi-XMAs winner Mick Blue in a new scene co-directed by Blue and Maestro Claudio, aka BAM Visions, from Evil Angel.

Charlotte Sins Performs Her 1st Gangbang for Adult Time

Charlotte Sins performs her first gangbang in the latest release from Adult Time.

Cutting Edge Testing Joins PASS as New Partner

Performer Availability Screening Services (PASS) has added Cutting Edge Testing (CET) as a new testing partner.

Andylynn Payne, Emma Rosie Topline Joey Silvera's 'Trans-Active 32'

Andylynn Payne and Emma Rosie headline director Joey Silvera’s “Trans-Active 32” from Evil Angel.

Vince Karter Discusses Directing for Evil Angel

After 13 years on screen, Vince Karter has taken his talents to the other side of the camera. He recently made his studio directing debut for Evil Angel, where five scenes helmed by the two-time Euro XMAs Male Performer of the Year are already streaming on the site.

WIFEY Names Serenity Cox Brand Ambassador

Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint WIFEY has named Serenity Cox as its brand ambassador.

Emma Rosie Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Emma Rosie has made her TransAngels debut alongside Zariah Aura in "Trick or Treating Ourselves."

Transfixed Debuts Bree Miller Drama 'MILF Oasis'

Transfixed has released the Bree Mills-helmed drama “MILF Oasis.”

Show More